Monday, October 14, 2013

Puck Loves Apples

I caught Puck in the photo above licking his chops at my apple bucket today. I never knew dogs loved apples!

I realize these photos of our water line trench may not portray the tension and sense of excitement that we had of finally laying in the pipe and actually seeing water flow from the places we meant it to flow, but trust me, this was high drama for us. While Brandon was wrestling the pipe into the trench I came up to get some pictures and when he saw me he said it was a good thing, because he was about to get his feelings hurt if this didn't make it on the blog. I'm telling you, this was a big deal!

I was managing to stay out of the mud for most of the day by mowing the nice clean grass, but I had to grab the pipe from the muddy water filled hole inside of the house and help direct it though a bigger pipe wedged in the hole that goes under the foundation. It seems that each job we take on is dirtier than the last. But I have found that nothing gives a better feeling of accomplishment than working so hard I ruin my clothes. I particularly like going in the hardware store looking like I've been rolling in mud. I finally look like I belong. But running in Kroger for some groceries while covered in dirt doesn't feel the same for some reason. Even worse than being dirty is finding a tick while in a public place, like a restaurant, or in line to pay for groceries. I work outside frequently for my job too, so this happens more often than I would like. I try to be nonchalant, but I'm sure it's more than awkward for anyone who observes me pull a blood sucking parasite from my clothes or hair and rip it in two with my nails. Then I have the dilemma of what to do with it. Tick parts in my pocket? Sure.

Isn't it lovely? Especially since I mowed the grass behind the dirt mound. It really sets of the brown color of the muddy hole, doesn't it? In the photo above you can see the main water line coming in from the left, branching off to the pipe that goes in the trench that lead to the kitchen, and also to the hydrant which is temporarily propped up. The board in the bottom of the hole is just for Brandon to stand on so he didn't sink to his ankles.

After all the pipes were glued together we had to wait two hours before we could turn the water on. We filled the time by filling buckets of apples and pears. Most of the apples are small and lumpy, but they taste amazing. I picked some earlier that were much more tart, so I think they weren't quite ripe before because now they are sweet. While I was on the ladder handing apples down to Brandon, I found a really big pretty one. When Brandon took it from me he said "This one looks just like an apple." Ha! One out of a hundred. Our mental image of apple may evolve now that we have an apple tree.

Normally I'm transfixed by the lovely colors in the sky as the sun goes down, but tonight, because the sky was cloudless, I mostly admired the colors of the fields around the house. The weeds are really putting on a nice show of fall colors, even before the trees have begun.

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International Blue

A journal of creating a home in an old blue school bus, as well as a do-it-yourself farm house renovation, living with backyard chickens, learning to farm, gardening, preserving food, and other projects.